Manifold for internal-combustion engines



, "M a I, 1928. 1,667,886 w. P. BEPPE MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed July 15. 1922l 3 Sheets-Sheet l mMw 177179287.

W. P. DEPP MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINES Filed July l5. 1922 E Sheets-Sheet A TTOHNEY May l, 1928.

-w. P. DEPPE MANIFOLD FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Iuly l5. 1922.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INI/ENTO? A TTOH/VEY Patented May 1, 1928.

WILLIAM P. nnrrnor BBIGIITWATERS, NEW YORK.

JiIaNIFoLn ron INTERNAL-CGMBUSTION ENGINES. a

aplicacion filed Juiy 15,

of apparatus may be used and my presentv improvement merely provides for coinmercial forms of apparatus of this character for four and six cylinder engines of the L-head type. Y y

Vhile the details of the devices herein described may be varied and the units made of the same or similar metal, it is found desir# able, in carrying out my improvement to construct or cast the fuel mixture conduits and units of the intake manifold from metal or alloys, having a comparatively .high heat conductivity and enclose the unitsso formed in jackets of sheet metal of lower heatconductivity. This permits less weight of metals to be used. The enclosing jacket is preferably stampedY or formed of sheet metal i`n two pieces which are secured together about and in contact with certain portions of the intake manifold in such a manner as to leave a chamber substantially uniformly spaced from the arms of the intake manifold, so that the latter may be heated by passing exhaust gases through the chamber thus formed.

By this construction, it is evident that the jacket enclosing the intake manifold may be connected by aV suitable pipe with the ex haust manifold andthe proportions of the inlet and outlet pipe to the jacket may be so designed that the required proportions of exhaust gases may be passed through the jacket. This is desirable in carrying out my improved method, in order that the mixture may be accurately maintained and delivered to the engine in the proper superheated dry gaseous state. i

It will be understood also that the points of metal contact between the exhaust gas conduits and intake'conduits furnish a certain amount of heat to the mixture, and care should be taken in designing and applying superlieat gas manifolds to see that this met al contact is nevergreat enough tov cause the temperature of the intake conduits to, build up, independent of the heat delivered by the flowing exhaust gases in pipes andjackets,

1922. Serial N0. 575,300.

which can be so proportioned that there is automatic heat delivery according to the amount of fuel mixture with relation to speed of engine and throttle opening. i

ln operating an vengine accordingl to. my method as described in the patent above referred to, it is desirable to' provide means for breaking upthe fuel particles, immediately after they leave the carburetor, by mechanical or other means so as to. facilitate rapid vaporization, and produce a. homoge neous mixture. In my present apparatus this is preferably accomplished by my improved heater and mixer, substantially as or similar.

to that shown and described in my Patent,

No. 1,189,797 of July 4,1916. It will be. understood, however, that any other suitable means may be employed in connection with my improved superheating manifold.

My .improved manifold for four and six cylinder engines are more particularly. shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l shows my improved manifold and the complete lay-out for a six-cylin'l der engine in side elevation with some portions in section; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the lay-out as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is `a,- top plan view of the six-cylinder lay-out with the jacket broken away at certain points; Fig. t is a side elevation of the sixcylinder exhaust manifold and the inlet ends of the intake manifold, these parts being formed as an integral casting; Fig. l5 is a vert-ical transverse section through the layout on the line 5.-5 of Fig. 3; Figf is a detail sectional view on the line 6.-6 of Fig. et; Fig. 7 is a side elevationof the complete lay-out for a four-cylinder L-head engine, with certain portions broken away; Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse section of the upper portion of the lay-out on the line 8-8 of.

Fig. 7 ,f and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the integral exhaust manifold casting and inlet openings.

Y Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the form of my improved manifold as shown in Figs. l to 6 inclusive, is arranged and adapted for attachment to the ordinary double block six-cylinder L-head engine and although the complete engine is not here shown, the engine blocks which are .planed' olf to attach thereto vthe intake andrexhaust manifolds' are "represented `at 1, and the manifold may be attached thereto in the usual manner, by suitable lag bolts 2, as indicated in the drawings. The exhaust ports are indicated by the dotted circles 3, as seen in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and the intake ports by the dotted circles ki. The exhaust manifold 5 is preferably provided with suitable openings adapted to register with the port openings 3 and, as more particularly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the exhaust manifold preferably increases in cross-sec tional area toward the left., where it turns upward at G and is provided with a flanged opening` connecting it with the opening and in an over-hanging conduit member 7 which is continued downward in circular form at S, as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings and is connected with the exhaust pipe t). The flanges 10 between the upper end 6 of the exhaust manifold and the member 7 are secured together by .suitable bo'lts 11, as shown in Figs. 1 and L1 of the drawings. The exhaust pipe 9 is clamped to the lower end of the round portion S of the exhaust .manifold conduit 7, by the clamping;- bolt 1Q,

as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings.

As more particularly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings, it will be seen that the exhaust manifold 5 is east integral with a Haring inlet chamber 13, adapted to cover three of the inlet ports 1, there being two such flaring inlet chambers, one for each set of three-cylinders as indicated in Figs. and 4 of the drawings. The opening 1i of the fiaring` chamber 13 is provided with a planed face and suitable flanges 15 for at caching thereto the spreader arms of the inlet manifold, the latter being secured thereto by suitable bolts 16, as shown in Fig. 1 and in section, in Fig. 11.

The spreader arms of the intake manifold which are connected to the inlet openings 14, preferably comprises an inverted substantially U-shaped conduit 17 of flattened crosssection as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and is of substantially uniform cross-seo tional area throughout, except that the lower ends thereof at 18 flare out and open laterally to register with the inlet openings 14, as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Suitable iianges 19 are provided for coop` eration with the bolts 1G and flanges 15 for securingy the intake manifold spreader arms to the flaring inlet chamber 13, as previously indicated.

The central portion of the spreader arms 17 on one side thereof is preferably provided with a tubular boss il() adapted to register with an elbow shaped riser 21, as seen in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings. The boss 20 and the adjacent end of the elbow Q1 are provided with suitable flanges 2Q, through which bolts Q3 are passed for securing;l the two parts together, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

As previously indicated, the spreader arms 17 may be and preferably are cast integral of bronze or some other suitable metal or alloy, having relatively high heat conductivity and as indicated, the spreader arms are preferably flattened in cross section, in whole or in part, so that any heat applied thereto will be more effective in heating the mixture passing therethrough. In order that the spreader arms 17 may be satisfactorily and ell'ectively heated, the, entire spreader arm conduit 17 is preferably enclosed and surrounded by a jacket 2l, which in the present instance, is formed of stamped sheet steel, which has a relatively lower heat conductivity than the metal of the spreader arms 17, The jacket Q4 (249-29) enclosing the intake spreader arms 17 is preferably made up of two sections 21 and il, each provided with a. peripheral flange Q5 and the two members are secured together by suitable bolts and nuts 20, passing through the flanges 25, as indicated in Figs, 3 and 5 of the drawings. '.lhe thin sheet metal jacket 2in-9.1 is spaced uniformly from the spreader arms 17, and, as indicated in Fig. (3 of the drawings, the wall of 21; passes between the flanges 15 and 1t), and is, therefore, clamped and held in place by the bolts 16, as shown in Fig. 1 ot the drawings. The sheet metal jacket wall 2l also passes between the flanges 22 between the elbow 21 and boss 20, and the three parts` are clamped firmly together by the bolts 23. Thus, it will be seen that the sheet metal jacket QdtHQfl-l, forming a chamber about the intake manifold spreader arms 17, firmly secured in place by the same bolts which hold the spreader arms.

The jacket nien'ibers Q1 and 2l" are provided with suitable openings registerinyr re spectively with the openings 1-t and 18 and the openings in the boss Q0 and elbow 2l. so as to provide for the unobstructed passage. ol' the mixture through the intake manifold, while at the same time completely enclosing; the manifold spreader arms 17 by the jat-kel 23, as described. This arrangementalso provides for makinar a .substantially gas-tight chamber within the jacket members 23M 241 surrounding the intake manifold spreade1 arms 17.

One leg of the jacket member Q11 is provided with an opening at 27, which is connected by means of a short pipe 28, with the exhaust manifold 5, which is provided with an opening at Q9, as will be seen in Figs. 3 and L1 of the drawings. The front jacket member 21 in the other leg thereof is provided with an openingl at 30, which is fitted with an out fardly and downwardly extendinf.,r exhaust'pipe 31, as will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, thereby providing means for surrounding the intake spreader arms 17 with hot exhaust gases for heatingr the mixture passing therethrough. It will be obvious that by regulating the size of the respective inlet and exhaust pipes` 28 and 3l,

the heating effect of the exhaustgases on the flattened' spreader arms of the intake manifold may be regulated according to the requirements of any particular engine with which the apparatus may be connected.

For preliminary heating and mixing the combustibles and air of the mixturebefore it enters the intake manifold proper, the elbow riser 31 is preferably connected by flanges 32 and bolts 33 to the heater and mixer 34, which is provided with'tlanges at 35, atthe lower end thereof where it is secured by bolts 36 to the upper end 37 of the carburetor 38.

` The heater and mixer 34 is preferably of the form substantially as shown and described in my ending application, Ser. No. 537,404, filed February 18, 1922, and comprises a substantially spherical shaped heatingcondu-it 39, through which the mixture passes on its way to the elbow 31, as more particularly illustrated in Fig. of the drawings. The conduit'39 is formed between the outer lspherical wall 40 and the inner bulbl 41, which are preferably cast integral, of bronze or other suitable metal of relatively high heat conductivity. The spherical conduit thus formed is preferably surrounded and enclosed by a jacket 42, which as here illustrated is preferably made up of two hemispherical cast iron shells, which are secured together by suitable bolts 43, about the inner conduit member 40-41, and spaced therefrom to permit the circulation of exi haust Vgases about the outer wall 40 of the conduit. The inner bulb 41 is provided with a tubular opening 44 passing through the Wall 4() and also through the jacket 42, so that the hot exhaust gases from theexhaust pipe 5 may be conducted i-nto the interior ofthe bulb 41 for heating the spread-out or sheeted` gaseous mixture on the inside of the latter. For this purpose the exhaust pipe 5 is` provided with an openingat 45, which is connected by a short pipe 46, with the tubular opening 44 and leads to the interior of the bulb 41, as will be seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The bulb 41 is also provided with an outlet opening 47, which is adapted to permit the exhaust gases to pass from the bulb 41 into the chamber kformed between the Wall 41 and the jacket 42, so thfat the exhaust gases may circulate around the outer wall of the mixture conduit and heat the outside of the sheeted mixture. A rod or bolt 47l is passed through the jacket 42 and through the openings 47 and 44 into the wall of the exhaust pipe 5 to secure the parts tightly together. The jacket 42 is provided with an opening at- 48to permit the exit therefrom of the exhaust gases through the outwardly and downwardly extending pipe 49, as shown in the Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The spherical sheeting and heating conduit 39 with a cylindrical conduit at the inlet end 50 of the heater and mixer, the upper portion of which is also preferably surrounded by the jacket 42, so as tobe heated by the exhaust gases passing therethrough. The cylindrical inlet opening. 50 is preferably provided with a rotary mechanical mixer 51, which may be of the usual or-any preferred form, although any mechanical mixing device, capable of finely atomizing the liquid may be used. 4

lVhilef the air to carburetor inlets may be at atmospheric temperature, I prefer,y as

shown and. described in my pending applica-y tion above referred to, that all the air passing through the carburetor or metering device 38 should be preheated. For this purpose, the primary air conduit 52v is connected by-means of the pipe 53 with the lower end of stove 54, surrounding the exhaust pipe 9 and throughwhich the air enters on its way to the carburetor. The secondary or auxiliary air conduit 55, by means of the pipe 56, is connected at 54a to the upper end of the stove 54 and allot the auxiliary air is likewise heated. In using preheated air care'should be taken to proportion the air housings on the exhaust pipe.

dry gaseous mixture under all conditions of operation without any attention or regula` tion by the operator, other than such as may be done by operation of thethrot-tle. rFlic yair, entering the carburetor, afterpicliing up the combustibles passes through the throttle in the upper end 57 ofthe carburetor and enters the lower end 50 of thefheater and mixer where the mixture first encounters the rotary mixer 51, whereby the particles are broken up and atomized after which the mixture enters the heater conduit 39 and is spread out and sheeted and the temperature raised sufficiently to completely vaporize the fuel particles. The mixture Athen passesthrough the elbow riser 2l into thespreader arms 17 where it is again flattened or sheetcd and heated on both sides by the exhaust gases surrounding the spreader arms in the jacket 24. The mixture is thereby superheated and maintained and delivered as a superheatcd dry gas to the chamberl 13, from which it is admitted to the engine through the inlet` ports 4. f

l/Vhile the apparatus thus far described isI lll) very satisfactory for the use of superheated mixtures at usual commercial compression pressures, higher compression pressures are desirable, in operation, for greater thermal clliciency. Therefore, for the purpose of ionizing and diluting the mixture, so to intiuence the action thereof in the cylinders of the engine, and enable the engine to operate at higher compression pressures and with sustained pressures after ignition of the mixture, it is preferably to introduce into the highly heated and completely vaporized mixture, a predetermined amount o' live exhaust gases. This is preferably done by providing the bulb ll in the heater and mixer with a hole or holes at 5T which are adapted to permit live exhaust to pass, into the stream of mixture substantially central thereof and in the direction of tlow. l"his method of utilizing exhaust gases is more particularly shown and described in my pending application, 5er. No. tgletO, tiled April 21, 192i.

The lay-out for a four-cylinder engine of the L-head type is more particularly shown in Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive, from which it will be seen that the construction is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. l to t3 for the six-cylinder engine, the principal dii`- ference being that in the four-cylinder layout the manifold spreader arms 1T are more Ueshaped, so as to bring the ends lll thereof closer together. The pipe connections and other elements of the four-cylinder lay-out are substantially the same as those described for the six-cylinder lay-out, with some of the proportions changed slightly to accommodate the smaller lay-out. The same reference characters are given to corresponding parts, so that the previous description will suiiice for the four-cylinder lay-out. There is one other diference to which attention lnay be called, and that is that the jacket members 2l and 24 are slightly different in shape, in that the member 2l is constructed like a deep U-shaped pan and covered by a fiat plate 24, so as to coniplete the jacket surrounding the U-shaped manifold spreader arms l Obviously, ho\v ever, this construction does not differ iu principle from that shown and described in Figs. l to 6 inclusive in connection with the six-cylinder lay-out.

It will be noted that in both la vouts an opening is preferably provided at 58 through a boss 59 on the intake manifold spreader arms 17 and 1T, for connection with a priming tank in the usual or any preferred manner.

These forms of applicants improved manifold layouts for carrying out his method of producing and delivering to the engine a superhcated dry gaseous mixture represents the preferred forms which have been eommercialized and which are 'being manufactured and made available to the public. It will be understood, however, that I am not limited tothe particular construction shown and described, for various modifications in the specilic details thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

l. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an integral casting `comprising the exhaust manifold and a pair of chambers covering the inlet ports to the engine. of a riser section connected with the carburetor and forming the first heating .stage ol the mixture, an inverted U-shaped casting forming intake spreader arms connectcd with said ria-er Asection, said spreader arms casting being of metal having a relatively high heat comluctivity, an enclosing jacket completely surrounding said spreader arms and spaced therefrom, said jacket being formed of metal, having relatively low heat rondiuftivity, means for securing said jacketed spreader arms section to the exhaust inauil'old casting with the ends of said arms in coiamunicatiou with said inlet chambers and means for passing controlled amounts of exhaust gases through said jacket.

n an internal combustion engine, the combination with an integral casting, com prising the ei-hziust manifold and a pair of chambers covering the inlet ports to the engine, ol a riser section connected with the carburetor and forming the first heating stage ot the mixture, an inverted U-shaped casting forming intake arms connected with said riser section, said casting being of metal having a relatively high heat con ductivity, an enclosing jacket completely surrouiuliiig said spreader arms and spaced therefrom, said iacket being of stamped sheet metal, having relatively low heat conduetivity, means for securing said spreader arms section to the exhaust manifold casting with the ends of said arms in communication with said inlet chambers, and a. connecting pipe between said exhaust manifold and the spreader arms jacket` for admitting predetermined amounts of exhaust gases to the latter whereby said spreader arms are coinpletely surrounded and heated by exhaust gases.

3. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an exhaust manifold cast integrally with inlet chambers covering the inlet ports of the engine, of an integral inverted U-shaped spreader arm casting, said spreader arms being flattened in the plane of the arms and provided with terminal lateral openiiigs communicating with said inlet chambers. a jacket enclosing said lspreader arms and spaced therefrom, said jacket comprising two sheet metal punched and stamped members secured together about their peripherics, a riser adapted to be conlill) llU nected with said spreader` arms mid-way of the ends thereof, theconnection or opening between the riser and spreader arms being in the flattened side of the latter, a heater and mixer connecting between said riser and the carburetor, and pipe connections leading from said exhaust manifold to said jacket and to the heater and mixer respectively, whereby exhaust gases are utilized for simultaneously heating the mixture passing through said heater and mixer and through said spreader arms. Y

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with laterally opening inlet chambers covering the intake ports of an inverted U-shaped intake manifold member, said manifold member being flattened in cross-section in the plane of the arms and provided with terminal lateral openings to register with said intake chambers, a jacket of stamped sheet metal completely enclosing said intake manifold and spaced therefrom, said jacket being removably attached to and provided with openings adapted to register` with the openings in said manifold members and with said inlet chamber openings, and means for securing the intake manifold member to the openings in said inlet chambers with said jacket interposed with corresponding openings in register.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an exhaust manifold, of

an intake manifold, including an invertedv v said heater and mixer, a jacket of sheet metal enclosing said spreader arms and a pipe connection from said exhaust manifold to said jacket for utilizing exhaust gases for heating said flattened U-shaped arms, whereby the mixture is heated in successive stages.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with an exhaust manifold, of an intake manifold including a riser section connected with an inverted vertically disposed U-shaped spreader arm section, a jacketed heater and mixer in said riser section, adapted to be heated by exhaust gases for one heating stage, said inverted U- shaped spreader arms section being formed as a casting of bronze, in which the spreader arms are uniformly flattened in crosssection in the lane of the arms, a two-part sheet steel jac et completely enclosing said spreader arms, the parts of said jacket being united in a plane parallel to the spreader arms and so shaped as to be substantially uniformly spaced therefrom, a pipe connection between said exhaust manifold and one arm of said U-shaped jacket for admitting exhaust gases and an opening in the other arm of the jacket for the exhaust gases to pass out, whereby exhaust gases may circulate about said spreader arms from end to end for heating the same as a second heating stage the passage for the How of the exhaust gases for heating purposes being so proportioned as to control the temperature limits to produce, maintain and deliver a superheated dry gaseous mixture to the engine.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an exhaust manifold, cast integral with chambers communicating with the inlet ports of the engine, an intake manifold provided with spreader arms which are secured to and adapted to communicate with said chambers, a jacketfor exhaust gases enclosing said spreader arms, the walls of said jacket being interposed between the exhaust manifold casting and the spreader arms, whereby the transfer of heat from metal to metal of the respective manifolds is interrupted. y

8. The combination as called for in claim 7, in which the spreader arms of the intake manifold are cast of metal having a relatively high heat conductivity and said jacket is formed of metal having a relatively low heat conductivity.

9. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an exhaust manifold casting, including chambers covering the inlet ports of the engine, an intake manifold provided with spreader arms which are connected with said chambers, a separately formed` jacket for exhaust gases enclosing said spreader arms, the walls of said jacket being interposed between the ends of said spreader arms and said chambers, whereby the flow of heat between the exhaust manifold and they spreader arms through the metals is interrupted and means for circulating hot exhaust gases through said jacket and about saidspreader arms.

10. In an internal combustion engine, the combination of an exhaust manifold, an in take manifold comprising a riser and spreader arms, an independently formed jacket for exhaust gases enclosing said spreader arms, means for securing the riser to the spreader arms with the wall of said jacket interposed therebetween and means for securing said spreader arms to the intakes of the engine with the walls of said jacket interposed, the jacket and spreader arms being of different relative heat conductivity, whereby the flow of heat between the spreader arms and the engine on the one side and the riser on the other is interrupted.

WILLIAM P. DEPP. 

